5/16/2008 - Visiting students bring their culture, take back accent

SUZANNE LOUDAMY
Staff writer
The County Leader

Deep in the heart of Whitehouse (TX) is a young girl with big heart of her own, almost as big as her beautiful brown eyes.

These eyes are seeing America for the first time with a different perspective. Ilaria Caponetti is an exchange student in Whitehouse from Rome, Italy. And why Whitehouse of all places? It was literally, the luck of the draw.

Caponetti entered a national contest and over 2000 students in Rome alone took the tests. The winner would get to choose the country they would go to.

“I hoped I would do well and get a chance to go to school in America,” said Caponetti. She did more than alright; she won first place.

Just south, in Troup, is a young man from Denmark named Oliver Jensen With his Danish blonde hair and piercing blue eyes, Jensen says this op- portunity means a great deal to him.

“I wanted to come to America to make contacts, improve my English and experience something different than what my home in Dalby had to offer.”

Jensen applied for the exchange program through the Aspect Foundation and he specifically chose Texas.

Caponetti’s first few days in America were not pleasant. She had a rough bout with allergies when she first arrived.

“There was this poor child, sick as a dog, meeting us for the first time,” said Patsy Lewis, her “American” mom. “I’m sure she wanted to get back on the plane and go back home.”

But with a little time and some medication, Caponetti was back on her feet and ready to learn about her new country. First there was a little issue to tackle. Caponetti had never had a full-length conversation in English in her life.

Of course she had taken English classes in school, but much like our Spanish classes here, most of what they focused on was conjugating verbs, not carrying on a real conversation. As many young people do, she quickly caught on to the language and will return to Italy with much improved English language skills and just a touch of an East Texas accent.

Caponetti says the greatest experience of her time here in Whitehouse has been what she has gained from the time she has spent in church. Lewis said when she first came to live with them, she didn’t want to push going to church. Caponetti was hooked right away. She said she loved going to the events of the youth group and hearing them talk about their personal experiences with Jesus.

Following a ski trip in Januar y, Caponetti returned to Whitehouse Assembly of God Church and stood before her congregation and told them all she wanted to take “this Jesus” back to Rome, because everyone there needed Him like she did.

School here has been much different that what she was accustomed to in Rome.

“The teachers there do not help you when you do not understand,” Caponetti said. “You are given your assignment and just told to do it. Too bad if you do not understand.”

She said she felt closer to her teachers here in Whitehouse. They were very willing to help and to explain when she asked.

Jensen had some of the same experiences in the classroom. He said that from an early age in school students are given a much greater amount of responsibility.

“The teachers don’t give you a second chance or remind you that a paper is due,” Jensen said. “It’s your responsibility, even as a young student to get it done and turned in without being reminded.”

He believes this is a good idea and it teaches students to be more independent and to think for themselves.

Jensen is a thinker, that’s for sure. He is preparing to entire college when he returns to Denmark. He will study engineering. His scholarship is ready and waiting for him. He will go to college for three years and continue another six years in the university.

Jensen lives with Rudolph Barnett in Troup. He said he’s lived with a couple of other families, but Mr. Barnett has been a good match for him. His exchange program is through the Aspect Foundation.

Caponetti came to Whitehouse through the American Field Service exchange program. The Lewis family handpicked her to come and live with them.

She said she is not sure what she will do as far as her college education. She is sure of one thing and that is that she will miss her American family. Plans are already in the works for the family to visit her next Christmas.

Jensen will return to Denmark in June. He has missed his family but he says this was probably the greatest year of his life.

“It has been a good experience and I’m very glad I had the opportunity to come,” Jensen said. “When I am grown up and have the means, I want to host an exchange student myself.”

Each of these students take back a piece of Americana from deep in the heart of Texas. Y’all come back now, ya hear?

Republished with permission. This article was originally published here.